Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. William Phillips joined the U.S. Army in 1963 at the age of 18, with the goal of having a career in the military. He attended basic training at Fort Jackson, SC which lasted for 12 weeks. He then went to Fort...

Interview conducted by Darcey Cunningham. Interview contains stories by both Francis O. "Ham" Cunningham, and Mary "Polly" Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham was recruited in 1941, while in his senior year at UCONN, into the Marine Corps Officer...

Interview conducted by Ian Tran. Robert H. Gross enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942, during his junior year of college. He went to basic training in Aberdeen, Md. He joined the Air Corps because of his deep sense of patriotism,...

Interview conducted by Michelle Delvecchio. John J. Higgins enlisted in the Army National Guard's in May of 1940. Before he enlisted he had been part of the Civilian Conservation Corps for fifteen months. Higgins felt this was an advantage to...

Interview conducted by Robert Mastroni. John Tagg joined the service for a one year enlistment period before the war began in 1941. Although, he completed his service time, he was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1943. He was sent to boot camp in...

Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Albert D’Amico was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, but because he was too thin, they would not accept him, and sent him back home to New Britain, Ct. However, he found that the Navy would accept him, and...

Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Connie Nappier, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps after graduating high school in 1943. He wanted to be part of the Tuskegee Experiment, the program the Air Corps had set up to train African American...

Interview conducted by Jeanne Christie. Raymond Avery was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. He went to basic training at Sheppard Field, Texas, and after completion, he was informed that he would be transferred to the U.S. Army...

Interview conducted by Sarah Lawson. Phillip Davidson joined the U.S. Navy while he was at boarding school in Massachusetts. He was only 16 years old and required his parent’s signature in order to join. He thought of the navy as a “great...

Interview conducted by Arianne Salcito. Louis A. Bianco was drafted on his 18th birthday, and travelled to New Haven, with some friends from Waterbury, to undergo tests and a physical. He was able to join the U.S. Navy, and in January of 1944,...

Interview conducted by Jane Natoli. Stanley Kaufman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 at the age of 19. He went to basic training in Fort Monmouth, NJ for six months, at which time he also went to school to learn radio equipment repair for the...

Interview conducted by Jim Lyko. John Maltese was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943. After basic training at Camp Edwards, in Massachusetts he was assigned to the 462nd Amphibian Truck Company and trained at Ft. Moultrie in South Carolina. Maltese...

Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Roger B. Jeanfaivre enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 18. He chose the Navy because he did not want to live in a foxhole like World War I soldiers in the movies had. He went to basic training in...

Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Edward J. Bartek enlisted in the U.S. Navy, in 1939, at the age of 18 after spending two years in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He joined the navy in order to see the world, but in fact spend the majority...

Interview conducted by Lisa Pereira. George W. England joined the U.S. Navy in June of 1943 and attended basic training in Sampson, NY. After basic training he continued on to Memphis, TN to train at the aviation center and naval airport. After...

Interview conducted by Eileen Hurst. Francis "Jim" Vail enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in September of 1942. He was living in Stafford Springs, CT at the time, and applied to be a pilot. Although, he failed the eye test, he wanted to remain...